WHAT WILL DO GOOD IN IRELAND. 227 



the total charge for principal and interest 5 per cent 

 for thirty years), after last year's experience, than 

 were taken at 1 per cent ; and an effect would thus 

 be produced in many parts that would secure drain- 

 ing in future going on of itself, to the immense advan- 

 tage of the country. In a district like this, which is 

 not mountainous, and where the wet land does not 

 lie usually in great tracts, but every farm has more 

 or less of its land wet, such as an industrious tenant 

 can drain for himself, the general conviction that 

 to leave land undrained is a dead loss, must work 

 wonders in a few years. 



In much the larger part of Ireland, the only true 

 remedy is the better management of estates; that 

 bad tenants should be steadily weeded out, and their 

 land given to good tenants, without payments that 

 would reduce their capital. Three-fourths of Ireland 

 is in this condition. 



There are in the country a sufficient number of 

 good tenants, fairly industrious and steady men, with 

 some knowledge of their business, who have too small 

 farms. And there are a large number of thoroughly 

 bad tenants, indolent, ignorant, and drinkers, who, as 

 I have shown, in whatever way they hold land, can 

 never do any good with it. Their faults are their ruin. 

 This class hardly exists in England or Scotland, and 

 accordingly its extent or even its existence in Ireland 

 is not realised. All are looked upon as poor and 

 honest men ; of course the agitators keep up that 



